Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin leads the Aggies on to the field Saturday. The smoke-filled presentation is a new feature at Kyle Field, where tradition is king. Sumlin said he hasn’t received negative feedback, and he thinks it will help in recruiting. David J. Phillip / Associated Press

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, center, sings the "Aggie War Hymn" with his players before an NCAA college football game against Florida, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M begins a new era with its first Southeastern Conference game after leaving the Big 12 Conference. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

COLLEGE STATION — Kevin Sumlin's smarts earned him a shot as Texas A&M's coach, but his skills as a one-time Purdue linebacker helped him keep his feet Saturday in his Aggies debut.

“I was really close to going down,” a smiling Sumlin said of his spirited sprint onto Kyle Field before the Aggies' 20-17 loss to Florida. “There's no motivation like knowing there are 80 players behind you who wouldn't see you if you (fall down), and you're also on national television.

“It would have been ugly, to get trampled in my first entrance.”

Sumlin's near stumble occurred in the first place because of the desire of A&M's new guard to shake up things a little at a tradition-steeped place, where a fresh approach isn't always greeted with open arms. Saturday's fresh approach was smoke billowing from the northwest tunnel, and Kanye West's “Power” roaring from the speakers as the team sprinted onto the field.

“I get a lot of emails from people, but I haven't gotten any about that and saying it was a bad deal,” said Sumlin, whose Aggies play at SMU on Saturday. “It created some energy in the stands and energy for our players. We didn't take away from any (tradition). We added to it.”

Best Bets To This Weekend According To Vegas InsiderSports Illustrated

And, nearly as important to the program's long-term success, the entrance added energy for a slew of high school stars on hand to watch the Aggies' Southeastern Conference debut.

“We had a number of recruits who were there,” Sumlin said. “And whenever I look over and they all have their phones out and they're videoing what's going on, that means it's pretty cool. We'll continue with it.”

Well, most of it. Coaches claim teams' biggest improvements occur from the first game to the second, and that likely goes for A&M's new entrance, as well. In the middle of the Aggies' rush onto Kyle to the roar of about 87,000 fans, Sumlin was tripped up a bit but recovered nicely before exiting to the right.

“I'm a little less athletic than (defensive end) Damontre Moore and (quarterback) Johnny Manziel, who were just jumping and pushing me from behind,” Sumlin said. “I'm not going to run out first anymore.”

There was, however, a silver lining among the gray smoke concerning Sumlin's slip.

“I had some energy and thought I was running fast,” he said. “Thank goodness they're a heck of a lot faster and bigger than me.”

In recent years, the players had entered Kyle from the south end to a drum cadence from the Aggie Band. A cannon would blast and they would run onto the field. Now, they exit the Bright Football Complex, stroll through the concourse beneath the first deck surrounded by fans, bob their helmets to the drum cadence, and finally blast onto the field through the smoke and to the power of “Power.”

The Aggies, of course, had hoped to top off their new entrance with a victory in their first SEC game; they won't play another conference foe until meeting Arkansas on Sept. 29 at Kyle. And that part of the day's presentation is weighing much heavier on Sumlin's mind than any new entrance.

“I just read a script,” Sumlin said, chuckling, about his role in the adrenaline-laced A&M arrival. “Everybody acts like everything that goes on around here I do. It was a combination of a lot of people who said let's try this and let's do this and what do you think about changing this.